


Stage Helper

by cardinalwrites



Category: SPN, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, Destiel - Freeform, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 17:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10858929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cardinalwrites/pseuds/cardinalwrites
Summary: Loosely based off my friend hiding a present to give to his girlfriend on graduation day





	Stage Helper

Castiel is graduating and Dean isn’t here.

It’s a horrible feeling, knowing his boyfriend isn’t with his family as he walks across the stage, but Castiel understands why, to a degree. Dean works the graduation ceremonies. He kinda needs to do that if Castiel wants  to graduate at all, but still...

Which leads to now, Castiel waiting with his fellow Arts and Humanities college graduates as the timer counts down to zero, at which point they will all walk out into the arena and sit down for about two and a half hours of speakers until they walk across the stage, have their name called, hear applause as they walk across, take the stage helper’s hand on the stairs to avoid falling, and walk back down to their seats as college graduates. It was routine at this point to Cas, he himself having been to enough of the rehearsals whenever Dean was working them to know what comes after what. He had thought he’d feel a little different when the graduation would be his own, maybe with his best friend cheering him on and congratulating him with a kiss at the end, but instead Dean will be somewhere else making sure the entire graduation runs smoothly as a Marshall or helping the vice presidents run errands or something else that he’s done before.  
   
“Hey, don’t get too down on yourself. He’s still here, he’s just working is all,” Charlie poked Castiel’s shoulder, her own tassel falling and disappearing into her hair with it’s red hue. “He’ll still be screaming he loves you.”

  
“He picks what graduations he wants to do, though, Charlie,” Castiel found himself responding. “He says he has to work them all but he doesn’t really have to...”

  
“Hey, no,” Charlie poked his face hard. “You are not going through this on your biggest day of your school life. This is like your college wedding, and the bride does not feel bad on his wedding day.”

  
“Very funny, Charlie.” He still felt al title down, but count on Charlie to make him feel if only slightly better.

  
Charlie patted him on the back before one of the Marshalls handling the graduates called her name. After she left, Castiel felt his phone buzz.

 _**You're tassel’s on the wrong side,**_ It was Dean. 

 _*Your,_ Castiel couldn’t help but shoot back first _, and yes I am aware, Dean._

**Thanks for the grammar lesson Mr. English. You graduated with the wrong major then. But History suits you**

Castiel smirked. _Yes it does_ , he wrote back.

**Look to your left**

Castiel frowned and cocked his head to the side before doing what he was told. Where Charlie had been sat Dean instead, a headset and radio strapped to him and fully decked out in his security suit. He would look the picture perfect image of a security guard if he wore sunglasses inside.

“Hey,” Dean smiled.

  
“Hello, Dean,” Castiel found himself responding. 

  
“You’re gonna be one of the last to walk the stage, just so you know, but just, uh, make sure to not fall. That’s what the stage helper is for.”

  
“I am aware, Dean, but why did you have to work today? You could have had the shift covered,” Castiel hadn’t meant to say it, but he felt the pain behind the words and couldn’t stop himself in time. 

  
Dean stiffened but wouldn’t look Castiel in the eye. Before he could answer, the buzzer went off, signaling the start of the ceremony. Dean had to leave if he was going to make his place on time. 

“I’ll talk to you after, Cas. It’ll make sense, I promise,” Dean moved to kiss the top of Castiel’s grad cap before he reverted back to his work stance and began to usher everyone out of the venue. Castiel found himself dead last. His college didn’t go by alphabetical names when called, so it was entirely possible that Dean would be right that he would be last. It didn’t really matter. The last person always got the most applause anyway.

  
But that didn’t mean anything if Dean wasn’t the one clapping out there fore him.

Castiel found himself following the steps of the other eager graduates, his footfalls heavier than the rest as he made his way to the seat. He noticed the other marshals and graduation staff had taken their places, but he had little energy to look up and see where Dean had been placed, if he was even on the floor with them at all. The speakers were relatively tame, their speeches not exceeding attention spans and only lasting about twenty minutes a piece instead of forty five. They had a lot of names to cover, so that was probably why.

“Just a little longer now, Cas,” Charlie jumped beside him. The first few rows of graduate names had begun to be called as the audience filled with respective families’ cheers. It was endearing, really, but Castiel couldn’t bring himself to live in it. He vaguely registered that Charlie was trying to get him to look at something, but by the time he eventually did look up it was nearly an hour later as the last few lines were being called. Dean must be in the back somewhere and he won’t even be able to see Cas graduate in person because of his job. It made Castiel cold as he walked up the steps to give the announcer the card with his name on it. The crowd was already antsy since they saw no one was following Castiel. The ceremony was about to end.

  
“Castiel James Novak,” the announcer proclaimed, the cheers beginning to build as Castiel shook President Shurley’s hand and the graduates in their seats saw that they were almost truly done. Castiel found in him enough to smile at that. He could at least enjoy this part, right? Even if his best friend and boyfriend wasn’t there––

Castiel caught sight of him before it registered what he had done.

Standing just at the base of the stage where Castiel would walk off was the stage helper, only the stage helper himself was Dean.

He wasn’t just gonna see Castiel graduate; he was going to be the first person Castiel saw once he did.

Castiel found himself nearly stumbling to Dean as he reached the stairs, his hand already reaching for Dean to take to help him down.

“Y-you’re not in the back?”

  
“We have a lot of different jobs, Cas. I specifically asked for this one so I could give you this,” Dean grinned and pulled one crisp red rose from inside his jacket. He handed it to Castiel as the crowd continued to clap and cheer, the cameras catching the rest of why it was taking so long for the last graduate to get to his seat and off the stage. “What? You think I was going to miss my boyfriend’s graduation?”

Castiel stared at him, his smile now full and bright to see. The crowd continued to scream behind them, and if Castiel hadn’t felt that emotion to do what came next than Dean would have done it for him.

Dean took Castiel’s hand and pulled him hard into a kiss, the entire action caught on the jumbotron of the arena as Cas gripped the rose and wrapped his arm around Dean’s neck. “Congratulations,” Dean spoke once they broke apart. “Now I’m gonna have to ask you to get back to your seat. You’re holding up graduation, Novak,” He winked.

“You ass.”

  
“But I’m your ass,” Dean kissed him again before pushing Castiel back to his seat, the rose still firmly gripped in Castiel’s hand as he tossed his grad cap into the air and into a new chapter of his life, and through it all it was Dean that was cheering him on the most. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr!](http://www.cardinalwrites.tumblr.com)
> 
> You can also find this story on [tumblr](http://cardinalwrites.tumblr.com/post/160456419422/loosely-based-on-a-true-story-of-my-friend-and-his)


End file.
